Intelligent HomeService Robotic SystemBasedon RobotTechnology Middleware

Theintelligent homeservice robotic systemhas beendeveloped inordertoassist theagedorthedisabled people inthepopulation-aging society. Thedeveloped robotic system wasdemonstrated fromJune9toJune19atthe2005 WorldExposition, Aichi, Japan. Thepurpose ofourresearch isdeveloping robotic systemtoprovide daily services suchas bringing someobjects totheelderly ordisabled wheelchair users. Networkdistributed monitoring system wasalsodeveloped in ordertomonitor thestate ofrobotic systemworking andthe state oftheagedordisabled. Thedeveloped system usesRobot Technology Middleware (RTM),whichwasdeveloped byAIST (Agency ofIndustrial Science andTechnology, Japan) topromote application ofRobotTechnology (RT)invarious fields. RTM is basedonCORBA,sohashighscaling andinter-operating ability andfacilitates network distributed software andsharing. Using RT Middleware, wecandevelop robotic functional elements as "RTsoftware component", whichmakesapplication andsystem integration easier. Thispaperintroduces thearchitecture ofthe developed demonstration robotic systemandtheresults ofa demonstration conducted attheexhibition. I.INTRODUCTION Manyservice robotic systems havebeendeveloped to improve carecostandtheQoL(Quality ofLife) oftheaged ordisabled inthepopulation-aging society ((7), (9)). We developed theintelligent homeservice robotic system inorder toassist theagedorthedisabled people, andthedeveloped system wasdemonstrated attheprototype robot exhibition fromJune9toJune19atthe2005WorldExposition, Aichi, Japan. Theomnidirectional wheelchair andmaneuvering sys- temhavebeendeveloped toenable thedisabled person to operate itskillfully. Thedeveloped powered wheelchair gives users thesamedegree ofmobility that healthy persons enjoy. Thefeature ofthedeveloped powered wheelchair isthat users canoperate thewheelchair either byajoystick orbysimple bodyactions withtwohandsfree, thuswheelchair usercan enjoy playing asport suchastennis orcatching aball. Force sensors arranged under theseattodetect thedynamic changes intheuser's posture inthewheelchair. We also developed the omnidirectional intelligent service robot whichcandeliver the necessary objects suchasdrink, towel andnewspaper tohelp theagedordisabled whoistaking thewheelchair. Inorder toenable theservice robot tofinish ataskautonomously, we alsodeveloped iGPS(indoor Global Position System, (3)) to localize themobile robot andplanner tofind optimal pathfor themobile robot tomove.Additionally, network distributed monitoring system wasdeveloped inorder toknowthestate of robotic system's working andthestate oftheagedordisabled. Indeveloped system, RTMiddleware framework wasusedto develop robotic functional components that facilitate network- distributed software andsharing. AIST(Agency ofIndustrial Science andTechnology, Japan(5)) developed RT software component framework, called RTM (Robot Technology Mid- dleware) topromote application ofRobotTechnology (RT)in various fields (1). Modularization ofrobot components isa keytechnology fortheefficient construction ofrobot systems. RTM isbasedonCORBA (ominiORB), sothecomponents ofthesystem canbeimplemented bydifferent programming languages, runindifferent operating system, orconnected indifferent networks tointer-operate. Eachapplication is madeupofcomponents; integration issupported byallowing other applications tocommunicate directly withthese com- ponents. Thisfacilitates network-distributed